7 Benefits of Using a Yoga Wheel.

An Overview of Yoga Props & The Yoga Wheel

If you’ve been to a yoga class, you’ve probably been introduced to a variety of props (such as blocks, blankets, and straps) that are strategically designed to help your body find positions that might be otherwise unachievable.

Can’t touch your toes in a forward bend? Try lifting the floor to your fingers with a block. Have sensitive knees? Pad your mat with a blanket to add extra cushion. Want to experience the shoulder opening of a backbend you can’t quite do yet? Lasso your foot with a strap and work the same actions in a more accessible way.

Props are designed to make challenging poses more accessible and accessible poses deeper. It’s no surprise then, as yoga grows in popularity, that our choices in props are also expanding. One of the newest yoga props on the market is the yoga wheel, which is the invention of Sri Dharma Mittra, and is designed to aid practitioners in opening and stretching the major areas of the body, including shoulders, chest, spine and hips.

Here are seven ways a yoga wheel can aid the sustainable growth of your yoga practice.

Good for back massage

The problem of back pain is prevalent in the United States and all over the world. According to the study, around 80% of the American adults experience back pain at some point in their lives. A yoga wheel can be a useful accessory to get some back massage.

Place the yoga wheel on the ground and engage your middle back directly. Start slow and slide your spine back and forth, using the wheel.

Possible to perform challenging poses

There are plenty of challenging poses in yoga. By integrating yoga wheel, you can make challenging backbends possible without much effort. It’s possible for you to safely ease into an inversion naturally without abruptly forcing the backbend.

Forcing a backbend can often exceed your current flexibility, and the possibility is ruled out with the use of yoga wheel. The challenging backbend yoga positions can be performed even by beginners and intermediate when yoga wheel is integrated into the daily yoga practices.

Check out some interesting yoga poses and see for yourself how you can simplify with the help of a yoga wheel. If you have a problem with excess weight, you can also find many yoga poses that can prove to be excellent weight loss exercises.

Yoga wheel helps in customizing your practice

Every person has their strengths and weaknesses. The word “challenging” is a subjective word because of our unique strengths and weaknesses. Some people may find one yoga pose challenging while some may see other yoga poses challenging.

The challenges faced by the people depend on various factors. Whatever your challenges are, the use of yoga wheel can assist various practices by helping you work with your current flexibility limitations.

The yoga wheel can be used for backbends, hero poses, bridge, pigeon, and so on.

Encourages core work

To perform long-lasting yoga poses, one needs to have a strong core. A strong core is crucial when it comes to the protection of lower back and spine. The strong core consists of the various larger muscles group along with stabilizer and accessory muscles.

There are many muscles involved while performing various types of yoga poses. In the process of losing weight with yoga or for some other purposes, you may need to perform many different yoga poses.

A use of yoga wheel can help you strike a balance while performing various yoga poses, such as plank, tree, eagle, one-legged mountain pose, and so on. Performing these poses can further enhance your core strength.

Better balance

There are yoga poses that are very hard to perform. There is a very good chance that your body may lose balance in the process of performing different types of yoga poses. Many people are having problems striking a balance on the ground while performing yoga.

If you’re one of the people, who are having trouble balancing your body while performing asanas, a yoga wheel is for you. The next time you perform yoga poses, such as plant, squat, crane tree, and so on, try to include yoga wheel.

The yoga wheel helps to absorb the burden from sensitive body parts, helping you balance the body.

Great for inversions

There is yoga for lower back pain, and a yoga circle makes it easier to practice various yoga poses with ease. A yoga wheel can significantly improve the inversions. It provides confidence to those practicing yoga to go for pesky backbends with an assurance of safety.

The study has shown that some yoga poses can help in reducing back pain. With that said, there is also a fear of back pain if the yoga poses go wrong.

With yoga wheel, you can practice yoga poses without fear of back pain, as it offers great assistance.

Enhance your endurance

The yoga instructor often asks you to stay in the position as long as you can. The time you can spend on a specific position depends on your experience. However, there are times it could be even difficult for experts.

The yoga wheel assists your muscles, allowing you to stay in the position for a long period.

Conclusion

Yoga in the United States is considered as an exercise to maintain a healthy body and mind. But some people deal with difficulty when trying different yoga poses at home. So there could be the case of you needing help when trying out various poses with yoga wheel.

It is recommended that you consult a yoga instructor who is knowledgeable to assist you with yoga poses that are difficult to perfect because an imperfect yoga pose can harm you instead of benefiting you.

Here is an article published in Huffington Post regarding this issue. However, you can get tons of benefits if you manage to do them correctly.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Margaux Diaz is writing for health, beauty, skin care, and fitness from many years. She has been consistent with her writing thus contributing exceptional and worthy articles. She is very much passionate about her work that she has devoted herself to influence and motivate others to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Connect with her Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin.